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 There is a need to ensure that advanced cancer care translates into meaningful access for patients across geographies and income groups, according to Dr Saptarshi Ghosh, consultant clinical oncologist. He further stated that India's future cancer-care ecosystem will require collaboration between clinicians, hospitals, government, diagnostic centres, pharmaceutical companies, technology providers, insurers and communities.
India has made significant progress in cancer diagnosis and treatment, with advanced radiotherapy, precision oncology, targeted therapies, immunotherapy and improved diagnostic technologies increasingly becoming part of modern cancer care.
Dr. Ghosh, who holds FRCR in Clinical Oncology (UK), MRCP in Medical Oncology (SCE, UK) and FUICC, says the conversation around cancer care needs to look beyond the availability of technology. According to him, affordability, regional infrastructure, timely diagnosis, treatment continuity and coordinated care are equally important in determining whether a patient can actually benefit from medical advances.
“Cancer care is advancing rapidly, but the real measure of progress is not only how sophisticated the treatment has become. We also need to ask whether a patient can access that treatment, afford it and complete the recommended course of care. The gap between what is medically possible and what is practically accessible needs to be addressed,” Dr Saptarshi said.
The issue assumes greater significance as cancer treatment increasingly involves multiple stages of care, including diagnosis, pathology, imaging, surgery, radiation, systemic therapy, supportive care and follow-up. WHO's Global Status Report on Cancer 2026 highlights the coexistence of major scientific advances with persistent inequalities in who benefits from them, and calls for stronger capabilities, protections and value across cancer-control systems.
Dr Saptarshi believes that strengthening cancer-care capacity outside major metropolitan centres can reduce some of the geographical and logistical challenges faced by patients. His own professional journey has included clinical training and exposure at Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, Tata Medical Center, Kolkata and internationally through a UICC fellowship in Brussels, followed by clinical oncology training in the UK. He subsequently returned to Siliguri with the objective of contributing to cancer care in North Bengal. His current professional profile includes clinical and radiation oncology, with interests spanning head and neck, breast, gastrointestinal, lung, prostate and gynaecological cancers.
“Patients should not feel that they have to travel to a metropolitan city for every part of their cancer treatment. If we can develop stronger regional cancer centres with appropriate specialists, diagnostics and treatment facilities, we can reduce some of the geographical and logistical burden on patients and their families,” he said.
The model of comprehensive regional care is also reflected in Dr. Saptarshi's work at Hope & Heal Cancer Hospital and Research Center in Siliguri, which provides medical, surgical and radiation oncology along with nuclear medicine, pathology, radiology, immunotherapy and palliative-care services.
According to Dr Ghosh, affordability in cancer care should not be viewed only through the price of an individual medicine or procedure. The financial impact can include diagnostic tests, repeated consultations, medicines, radiation or surgery, travel, accommodation, caregiver expenses and income lost during prolonged treatment. For patients travelling from smaller towns or neighbouring regions, these indirect expenses can become an important part of the overall treatment burden.
“Affordability has to be considered across the entire cancer journey. A patient may be able to arrange the cost of one procedure, but cancer treatment can involve several stages and repeated visits. We need to think about the financial burden created by the complete journey rather than looking at one bill in isolation,” Dr Ghosh explained.
This makes the distinction between having access to treatment and being able to sustain treatment particularly important. A patient may technically have a treatment facility available but still face practical barriers related to travel, repeated investigations, medication costs or continuity of care. Dr Ghosh believes that government intervention has an important role to play in improving affordability and accessibility, particularly by strengthening public cancer infrastructure, expanding financial protection, supporting essential medicines and diagnostics, and creating policies that encourage wider availability of evidence-based treatment. WHO identifies affordable, safe and effective medicines and diagnostics, together with stronger health systems, as important elements of cancer control.
“The government has a very important role because cancer care cannot be addressed only at the hospital level. Infrastructure, financing, availability of medicines, trained manpower and regional healthcare capacity all require a broader ecosystem. Public policy can help create the conditions in which advanced cancer care becomes more accessible to a larger population,” he said. At the same time, he believes India can learn from healthcare systems abroad without simply replicating another country's model.
“Different countries have different healthcare structures and economic realities. We should learn from international experiences, particularly in areas such as financial protection, organised cancer pathways and access to advanced treatment, but the solutions ultimately have to be designed around India's own population and healthcare system,” he said.
Technology is another area that he believes can contribute to improving cancer care, particularly in diagnosis, treatment planning, pathology, imaging and clinical decision-making. However, he stresses that technology should be evaluated not only for what it can do clinically, but also for whether it can be implemented at scale and made accessible to patients who need it.
For Dr. Saptarshi, improving awareness therefore needs to happen alongside improvements in treatment infrastructure. “Building advanced treatment facilities is important, but patients also need to know when they should seek medical attention. Awareness, screening where appropriate, early diagnosis and timely referral are all connected. If we improve only one part of the system, we cannot expect the full benefit of advances in cancer care,” he said.
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